Stacy Alesi's BookBitch.com™

Read by Alex Picard

Oaks Sisters, Book 1

From the publisher:

Fake dating, enemies to lovers, and a wonderfully unique forced proximity debut romance, perfect for fans of Elena Armas’s The American Roommate Experiment and Drew Barrymore’s classic rom-com Fifty First Dates.

Elle’s grandmother Lovie has always taken care of her, as long as she can remember. But remembering is just the problem. With Lovie’s Alzheimer’s progressing fast, it’s Elle’s turn to step up.

Leaving Chicago behind, the last thing she expects when she walks through the door of her childhood home is Adam Wheeler—in her bed. Live-in nurse and pain in the ass, Adam is here to do his job. Eat, sleep, nurse, repeat.

Thrown together to care for Lovie, tensions rise and lines are drawn, but there’s a bigger problem: in her Alzheimer’s riddled mind, Lovie’s convinced that Elle and Adam are madly in love.

Certain she’ll forget by morning, Elle and Adam play along. The only snag? She doesn’t forget.

Lovie is the only person who thinks this fake dating scheme is real…so why is Elle fantasizing about Adam when he’s not around? And why is it getting harder to pretend?

Fake It Like You Mean It is the perfect blend of romance, laugh-out-loud comedy, and heartbreaking beautiful moments.

“The fake dating trope takes on unexpected emotional depth in Murphy’s utterly endearing debut . . . [With] perfect pacing and chemistry that leaps off the page.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review

“Elle and Adam have so much chemistry . . . A moving romance that balances the heartbreak of slowly losing a relative to Alzheimer’s with the thrill of falling in love.” —Kirkus Reviews

https://amzn.to/4hyfRR8

This is a heartwarming yet emotionally charged romance that balances laughter, sizzle, and poignant moments. The story follows Elle, who returns home to care for her grandmother, Lovie, as Alzheimer’s takes its toll. Elle’s life is complicated by Adam, Lovie’s live-in nurse, with whom she shares a dynamic that evolves from sharp banter to a deep connection. When Lovie mistakenly believes they are a couple, they play along, leading to an intimate and tension-filled fake relationship.

As they care for Lovie together, their bond grows naturally through shared vulnerability, humor, and care. The novel compassionately portrays Alzheimer’s, making Lovie a central figure in the narrative. Beyond romance, it explores the pain of losing a loved one and Elle’s journey of self-discovery amidst grief and family responsibilities. This book is a gem for fans of fake dating and slow-burn romances, offering a blend of light-hearted moments and emotional depth.

This was the first romance I’ve listened to in a while with only one narrator, and Picard does a great job with it. Murphy’s debut is a winner, and I’m looking forward to her next book!

3/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

FAKE IT LIKE YOU MEAN IT by Megan Murphy. Narrator: Alex Picard. Dreamscape Media; March 18, 2025. Listening Length: 10 hours.

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Read by Jason Clarke & Victoria Connolly

Oaks Sisters, Book 1

From the publisher:

A swoony, steamy, STEM romance in which two curators at a science museum—a handsome but grumpy astronomer and an anxious but sunshine-y entomologist—realize they are the perfect match. Now with exclusive bonus content!

Millie has never taken the expected path. Her childhood love for bugs and science led her to entomology, and her role as a curator, inspiring museum visitors every day. It’s her dream to run her own department—so when a rare director position opens, she is determined nothing will distract her from her goal. Especially not Finn, her grumpy coworker with his permanent scowl, electric blue eyes, and endless supply of astronomy ties.

. . . Not that she’s spent time noticing any of those things.

Finn doesn’t mean to glare at everyone, but he’s juggling his role at the museum, navigating the grief of losing his sister, attempting to make his nieces smile, and trying not to ruin dinner for the fifth night in a row. He can’t afford to let anything slip, and certainly doesn’t need more to deal with—especially not Millie literally stumbling into him, with her bright smile and sunny optimism.

He bugs her. She’s too starry-eyed for him. They want nothing to do with each other. But with Finn on the interview committee, avoidance is impossible. And Millie soon realizes it’s one thing when a job is on the line. It’s quite another when it’s her heart.

Give Me Butterflies is a sweet and sexy STEM romance, featuring:

• Grumpy x Sunshine
• Heroine in STEM
• Slow burn
• Open door spice
• Found family
• Nerdy banter

“Meadows wows with a contemporary that’s funny, sexy, sweet, and deliciously nerdy all at the same time…Fans of Ali Hazelwood’s STEMinist series should snap this up.” — Publishers Weekly *STARRED* review

“Collectors of perfectly executed grumpy sunshine love stories will want to snare a copy of Meadows’ superbly written romance in their reading nets. With an intriguing STEM-centered storyline, an abundance of steamy sexual chemistry, and plenty of sharp wit, the start of Meadows’ ‘Oak Sisters’ series is a rare specimen indeed.” — Booklist *STARRED* review

“A companionable romance that emphasizes family and friends, support and mental wellbeing, and building a happy life.” — Library Journal

“Narrators Victoria Connolly and Jason Clarke enchant listeners in this heartfelt contemporary romance . . . Both narrators use authentic-sounding voices in the delivery of dialogue, making this a memorable audio experience that will leave listeners smiling.” — AudioFile Reviews

https://amzn.to/41umz5L

This was such a fun, nerdy read! Millie and Finn both work at a science museum; she’s a curator of the entomology department and he’s the director of astronomy. Finn’s face is permanently etched with a scowl, and Millie is all sunshine and rainbows, at least in public. Turns out Finn has good reason for his unhappy face – his only sister died a few months earlier, and he is now guardian to her twin girls. He loves the girls, but it is a lot and it cost him his last relationship when his girlfriend didn’t want to deal with kids.

Millie was in a long-term relationship with Kyle, a man who was manipulative and cruel to her. Eventually, she ends things but is still recovering and certainly not looking to start anything new. But then she runs into Finn, literally, and spills coffee all over him. Then she hits his car. This is a very damaging meet cute, but he is so kind about it all that it really surprises her.

Millie has applied for the open director position in her department, and Finn is on the hiring committee. She works hard to ace her first interview, and it goes really well. But the more she runs into Finn, the more she sees the man behind the scowl, and when he brings his nieces in for a week-long camp program, it totally changes her opinion of him. She adores the girls, and they love her, too. Next thing you know Finn and Millie are hanging out, usually with the girls, and they start developing feelings for one another. This is a slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers romance, and I was completely drawn into their story.

There is a lot of humor and some sizzling sex once they get together. I loved the way they dealt with their respective families – Millie’s is the type of family most people wish for, loving, caring, and close, while Finn’s parents are stuffy and incredibly rude, even to their grandchildren. They are pissed that their daughter left Finn her daughters to raise, but it is easy to understand once they enter the story.

The narrators were great, and I was very excited to recognize Jason Clarke’s voice from another book I listened to. They both do a great job drawing me in and more importantly, keeping my attention. This is a dual narration, with each of them reading their respective chapters as the story moves between Finn and Millie’s viewpoints. There is some added drama with a second candidate vying for the director position, and I loved how Finn handled all that. I couldn’t wait for their happy ending, but the epilogues (plural!) went on too long. The first epilogue was great, but the second one was like a sex scene had been cut from the book and added back on at the end. There are also recipes – well, at least one for Snickerdoodles, but I stopped listening at that point, so there may be more.

All in all, this was a really good story, and I’m looking forward to the next book in the series, which, going by the title of the series, will be based on one of Millie’s sisters.

3/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

GIVE ME BUTTERFLIES by Jillian Meadows. Narrators: Jason Clarke & Victoria Connolly. HarperAudio; January 21, 2025. Listening Length: 10 hours and 45 minutes.

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Read by Charlotte North & Stephen Dexter

The Wilmot Sisters, Book 1

From the publisher:

One of Amazon’s Best Romances of 2022!

Opposites become allies to fool their matchmaking friends in this swoony reimagining of Shakespeare’s beloved comedy, Much Ado About Nothing.

Jamie Westenberg and Bea Wilmot have nothing in common except a meet-disaster and the mutual understanding that they couldn’t be more wrong for each other. But when the people closest to them play Cupid and trick them into going on a date, Jamie and Bea realize they have something else in common after all—an undeniable need for revenge.

Soon their plan is in place: Fake date obnoxiously and convince the meddlers they’re madly in love. Then, break up spectacularly and dash everyone’s hopes, putting an end to the matchmaking madness once and for all.

To convince everyone that they’ve fallen for each other, Jamie and Bea will have to nail the performance of their lives. But as their final act nears and playing lovers becomes easier than not, they begin to wonder: What if Cupid’s arrow wasn’t so off the mark? And what if two wrongs do make a right?

“From a meet-cute that crackles with wit and humor to pages upon pages of scorching tension, Liese has crafted a warm, delightful novel that emphasizes acceptance, communication, and the self-worth we can discover by both daring to love and letting ourselves be loved…An effervescent reimagining of the Bard packaged in an opposites-attract romance.”—Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“In this lighthearted rom-com riff on Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing from Liese… the banter is easy and the heat level is high.”—Publishers Weekly

“In this exceptionally smart and charming romance… Liese’s writing is crisp and funny, the characters are fully engaging, and the story is delightful.”—Booklist
 
“Liese (Everything for You) nods to Shakespeare’s Much Ado About Nothing here, and readers will enjoy the snarky banter and other similarities to the play, along with the enemies-to-lovers plot, solid character development, and a little heat. Perfect for fans of The Hating Game by Sally Thorne.”—Library Journal

https://amzn.to/41umz5L

I actually read the third book in this series, Once Smitten, Twice Shy, and loved it, so I hunted down the first book, and I’m very glad I did. This is a contemporary retelling of “Much Ado About Nothing,” with inclusiveness, which I loved. The female main character, Bea, is neurodivergent, and the male main character, Ben, has anxiety issues. We get the enemies-to-lovers and fake dating, the witty banter, and the happy ending – not to mention a super fun read! The narrators were wonderful and really helped draw me into the story.

The premise is that Bea’s sister and her boyfriend set up Bea and Ben without telling them. Their first meeting is a disaster; it’s hate at first sight. Their second meeting is a disaster; more hate. But once they figure out they are being set up, they decide the best way to handle it is to get revenge by fake dating and then breaking up. If you’ve ever read a romance, or Shakespeare, you know that they fall in love while fake dating and live happily ever after.

The fake dating did seem forced at times, but not in a good way. They were obviously attracted to one another and understood each other’s social anxiety, which was heartwarming. I reached the point where I wanted to shout at them, enough already. Just admit you have feelings and move on. But it took many, many pages until that finally happened. Luckily, that witty banter helped move the story along anyway.

This was a fun, sexy read with a lot of humor. I’m hunting down book two next.

3/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

TWO WRONGS MAKE A RIGHT by Chloe Liese. Narrators: Charlotte North & Stephen Dexter. Penguin Audio; November 22, 2022. Listening Length: 11 hours and 30 minutes

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Read by Alex Finke

Dial Delights*

From the publisher:

A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The Washington Post, NPR, Elle

Eve Hatch lives for surprises! Just kidding. She expects every tomorrow to be pretty much the same as today. She loves her cozy apartment in Brooklyn that’s close to her childhood best friend Willa, and far from her midwestern, traditional family who has never really understood her. While her job is only dream-adjacent, it’s comfortable and steady. She always knows what to expect from her life . . . until she finds herself expecting after an uncharacteristic one-night stand.

The unplanned pregnancy cracks open all the relationships in her life. Eve’s loyal friendship with Willa is feeling tense, right when she needs her the most. And it’s actually Willa’s steadfast older brother, Shep, who steps up to help Eve. He has always been friendly, but now he’s checking in, ordering her surprise lunches, listening to all her complaints, and is . . . suddenly kinda hot? Then, as if she needs one more complication, there’s the baby’s father, who is (technically) supportive but (majorly) conflicted.

Up until this point, Eve’s been content to coast through life. Now, though—maybe it’s the hormones, maybe it’s the way Shep’s shoulders look in a T-shirt—Eve starts to wonder if she has been secretly desiring more from every aspect of her life.

Over the course of nine months, as Eve struggles to figure out the next right step in her expanding reality, she begins to realize that family and love, in all forms, can sneak up on you when you least expect it.

“Accidental pregnancy is a love-it-or-hate-it construct for most romance fans, which could leave Cara Bastone’s friends-to-lovers entry in a tough position. But for those willing to jive with that particular plot twist—and trust me, it’s worth it—Ready or Not is an absolutely buoyant read. Vivacious and funny, Bastone’s first-person perspective through protagonist Eve traces the tricky threads of single parenthood, long-term friendship, infertility, grief, and (yes) sex with skill.”—Elle

“I’ve never read a contemporary romance novel quite like this one. This friends-to-lovers trope centers on a surprise pregnancy that’s filled with heartfelt dialogue, unexpected love and a slow burn. It’s incredible and I found myself not wanting to put it down. This story is endearing, life-affirming, and left me feeling buoyed and hopeful.”—New York Post, “The 15 Best Books We Read in February”

“Sure, this is a love story. But it’s also about all the ways love shows up. . . . And at the end of the day, that’s the ideal family, right? Never perfect but always trying.”—NPR

“This pitch-perfect rom-com . . . could be the guidebook on how to successfully execute the ‘friends-to-lovers’ trope. Bastone carefully captures the slow-burning magic of seeing someone familiar in a new light, and Shep is so wonderful he deserves a place in the Book Boyfriend Hall of Fame.”—The Washington Post

https://amzn.to/41umz5L

I have to start this review by saying I loved the narrator – Alex Finke made me understand why audiobook readers often follow narrators even more than authors. I am looking forward to listening to more Finke!

Eve is a young woman in her twenties with a crappy job but living her dream in New York City. She’s trying to find her path forward when she gets a sharp dose of reality; her one night stand has left her pregnant. Her best friend, Willa, is not happy with her, but Willa’s brother, Shep, becomes someone she can lean on.

I often wonder about these romances that begin in pregnancy because, let’s face it, most women are not always themselves while pregnant; those hormones are no joke! But Shep is such a sweet, supportive guy that I couldn’t help but root for them. The baby daddy, Ethan, turns out to be more than just a one night stand, too, so lucky Eve in that regard.

This is a slow-burn, sweet romance, and I really enjoyed it. Sometimes, you just want to feel good escaping into a book, and this certainly filled that need for me. As the world around me is burning to the ground, books remain my escape, and I am most grateful for it.

*Dial Delights is a series put together by Random House. All the books are contemporary romances but written by different authors, so they do not need to be read in any order. There are a few more books coming out later this year, including Promise Me Sunshine (3/3/2025), also by Cara Bastone and read by Alex Finke. I am especially looking forward to that one!

3/2025 Stacy Alesi, AKA the BookBitch

READY OR NOT by Cara Bastone. Narrator: Alex Finke. Random House Audio; February 13, 2024. Listening Length: 10 hours and 50 minutes

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